First day(s) of school

So even though all the kids started schools on different days I had to take a picture of them all together getting ready to head off to school. They are so cute!

I love these kids! They really are great kids!

What's up

We had a busy weekend. Last week I tried to get an exterminator over to my Grandpa's apartment. We had found out he had a bed bug infestation. Apparently it is becoming quite an epidemic in the USA because they had outlawed some chemical in mattresses that killed bed bugs and now we get to deal with the bed bugs instead of the chemical. Read this article if you are curious about this.
ANYHOW, we had found out that this is what was causing the "mosquito" bites we thought the kids were getting when they would visit Gramps. Then my cousin visited again and we found out he'd had a bed bug problem right before he had visited last time. We checked it out and sure enough...Yuck...a big problem at Gramps.
So we called the exterminator, after finally convincing Grandpa that he couldn't take of this problem himself. The exterminator basically said Gramps would have to toss most of his furniture and clear things out before the apartment could be sprayed. After some discussion Grandpa just decided to move into our spare room, for now at least. I think he would like his own place but he wasn't very happy at his apartment anywho, the landlord was planning on raising the rent quite a bit. So grandpa will either live with us from now on, which we couldn't be happier about, or we will find him a new apartment. The weekend, however, was used cleaning out the apartment and getting our house ready, and working hard to make sure no bugs got transferred to our house. (Did I say YUCK yet? YUCK!)
In the midst of moving beds around Emma decided she wanted to bunk with her little sister, which works for us because that means we still have a, sort of, spare room. It has their toys/stuff in it but space for people to bunk if they visit.

We got it mostly taken care of and now I get to get the kids ready for school tomorrow so they will be ready on Tuesday and Wednesday when they start. (2 different schools) It will be interesting this year because Lilli's preschool starts at 8:10, Henry and Emma start at 8:25, and Oscar starts at 8:45. It will be a challenge to make sure they all make it on time. Mornings will be crazy but once I get home I will have a couple hours to get things done until it is time to pick up Lilli. It will be nice to clean house without feeling like I am ignoring Lilli. She is LOVING preschool and I am adjusting to her being so big. ;)

Now we get to adjust to having another person in the house. The biggest challenge will be dinners. Grandpa isn't any pickier than we are just picky in different ways. Meshing our likes and dislikes will be interesting. We are willing to compromise though because we love having Grandpa around. He is fun and helpful. I can't repay him for all he has done for me and now my family. Anything I do pales in comparison. We love that guy!

Release your guilt

As women we often feel we must do it all, that if our house is messy or cluttered that we are not doing all we can. That if the kitchen isn't perfectly clean that we are somehow failing as a mother/wife. Now, I will admit that I definitely can leave things undone but I don't always feel completely guilt free about it. I mean, who doesn't like a clean house. It feels good. In the end though when my life is over and I am gone I do not want my kids to say "I loved my Mom but I just wish she spent more time with me, but our house was always spotless." 
Don't get me wrong, I don't think this means that we should completely let our house go. No one wants to live in a garbage dump. It is about prioritizing, about simplifying. I believe that we can all get some basic things done but nothing needs to be perfect. Your bed can be unmade, the kitchen doesn't have to be mopped everyday, and the dust on the baseboards- evidence of a life lived.


Well here is "permission" from a professional, Julie Hanks, to let the guilt go. Check both of these links out- they are spot on and empowering. It is something we need to hear more of.


Julie Hanks talks about her "confessions" as a multitasking mom on her blog.


And she has an interview that talks about the same thing. It is wonderful.


Sometimes we just need to hear from others that it is okay not to be perfect. We too often look at other's lives and think that they can do it all, so why can't we. It is never true. We all let go of something in order to do another thing. If I keep my house perfect then I am obviously going to be setting other things aside. No one is perfect we just all make our choices, we all have things that are important to us. This is "permission" to allow that to be people and not things. Let your spouse, kids, and friends be the most important. Not the sparkling floor and gleaming counters.  Not only take down your need to have a perfect house but release the guilt over not having it. Recognize that while certain things need to be done, I mean we all need clean clothes to wear, that it doesn't need to be spotless or perfect. Who feels comfortable in those houses anyhow. You want a place you can feel at home, not a museum. 


So release the guilt and start to more fully enjoy your life.

Bittersweet

How did we go from this...

to this...

so fast???

Lilli, my baby, started preschool yesterday. [Don't even get me started on Kindergarten next year :( ]

I call it bittersweet because I am so happy for her. She was so excited and had a great time but for me it is hard. I won't have a buddy with me all day long. She is growing up. It just comes too fast! She was just fine yesterday when we dropped her off. Gave me a hug and a kiss and was good to go. I on the other hand had to console myself with a BK sausage croissanwich ;) Watching her just walk away from me and jump right in made me feel like I was grasping at something that can't be grasped. I just wanted to yell "Wait! Not yet, she is just a baby!" BUT she isn't. She is a big girl, just like she always tells me. :) 

She was adorable though. She just couldn't wait! She sat right down and wrote her name (We made it easy for her really, she just has to remember the order of the l's and i's) One of her best friends is in her class so that made it fun. Jack and Lilli have been best buds since before they could walk. And now they are off to school together. Lilli plans on marrying Jack because he is her superhero. And sometimes they act like an old married couple. Jack will do something Lilli thinks he shouldn't. Later I hear him apologize saying "I'm sorry, you were right.", and Lilli says "Well you should just listen to me better." It kills me every time.

So I can check off another momentous occasion in my children's life. Still to come this year...my oldest "baby" turns 13!!! And my other baby girl turns twelve. (Which in church means young women's, which is a big deal, to me anyway) SO much all at once! I think I can...I think I can...I think.... WAAAAAAHHHH!! :'( *sniff* *sniff*

So many wonderful things in life are bittersweet, but I wouldn't miss them for anything.

Lilli and Jack about 2 years old

Lilli and Jack 4th of July 2010
(Lilli is singing to Jack here) So cute!